


Bend, Stretch and Snap

by HaughtScot



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Nicole doesn’t know they’re enemies, Pilates!Nicole, Undercover, Yoga!Waverly, rated for future chapters (probably), the age old yoga vs pilates rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:41:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29607516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaughtScot/pseuds/HaughtScot
Summary: Waverly stood by the door as her regulars filed out, saying goodbye with a smile and a wave. She had a compliment or a kind word for everyone, a part of what made her Purgatory’s most popular yoga teacher. Purgatory’s only yoga teacher, in fact, but that was beside the point.What will happen when a certain red headed pilates instructor moves to town and sets up shop?Or, the age-old Pilates vs Yoga rivalry au that no-one even thought about...
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, WayHaught
Comments: 47
Kudos: 164





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea, from a random Twitter conversation, has been hanging around for over a year. I’ve had most of the first chapter of this nonsense written for a while and doubted it would see the light of day, but I have been peer pressured into posting it (you know who you are).
> 
> I realise I haven’t sold this very well, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Waverly stood by the door as her regulars filed out, saying goodbye with a smile and a wave. She had a compliment or a kind word for everyone, a part of what made her Purgatory’s most popular yoga teacher. Purgatory’s only yoga teacher, in fact, but that was beside the point. She still took pride in the fact her classes were always well attended and enjoyed by the participants. 

That was achievement enough in a town like Purgatory, where anything new or exotic was viewed with more than a touch of suspicion. It was a mark of the town’s general fondness for Waverly that people started attending her classes when she set up two years before, and testament to her skill as an instructor that they kept coming back. 

She sang quietly to herself as she moved around the room tidying away the mats and equipment they’d just used. A dusty unused storeroom above what passed for a library in Purgatory wasn’t the ideal venue for a yoga class, but Waverly had made the best of it, painting the walls white and decorating with colourful hangings. 

She spoke with Mrs Francis, the librarian, before heading out into the cold. Shivering in her thin yoga pants, she zipped her coat up as far as it would go and pulled up the fur lined hood. She hurried along the quiet sidewalk, heading for Shorty’s and the start of her shift. 

Up ahead, she saw two people carrying large boxes into a building that she recognised as the old travel agency, empty since it went out of business over a year before. Curiosity piqued, Waverly slowed as she approached and surreptitiously glanced in the open door. The pair stood amongst piles of boxes in the middle of the empty space, heads together as they spoke. The plain boxes and paper-covered window gave no clues and Waverly was left to wonder about the building’s new purpose as she continued on towards the bar.

Shorty’s was quiet for the first hour or so of her shift, just a few regulars there for routine and some company as much as anything else. Waverly overheard part of a conversation about the new business on Main Street but the gossip was no more than it had been taken over by a couple of “outsiders”. She could already have guessed that; if anyone in Purgatory was starting a new venture, the news would have spread before now.

As the clock ticked past 5pm business began to pick up, the bar gradually filling with people stopping by for a drink after work, relaxing after a long day or delaying the return home for an hour. Waverly was kept busy pouring drinks and taking food orders, all part of a well-rehearsed routine that she had perfected over her years working in the bar. 

When she returned from one of her frequent trips to drop off a food order in the kitchen, she immediately noticed a couple of strangers standing at the bar, looking around curiously. A man and a woman, both tall and athletic looking, it took Waverly a moment to realise that they were the people she’d seen earlier and had been wondering about all day. The shock of red hair revealed when the woman pulled off her beanie was unmistakable.

Waverly moved over to where they stood and said, in her cheeriest voice, “Hey guys, what can I get you?”

They turned in unison and Waverly got her first look at the incomers. Her attention was immediately drawn to the woman, who put her hands on the bar and leaned forward a little. Her shoulder-length hair fell loose around her face and her brown eyes lit up with the smile spreading across her face. A beat too late, Waverly realised that she was staring at the redhead’s mouth and hastily raised her gaze to meet her eyes instead.

“Hi. We were hoping to get some food?” Her voice was warm and rich, and when she smiled, a dimple appeared in her left cheek.

“Uh, sure,” Waverly replied, reaching under the counter for a couple of menus which she handed over. “Specials are on the board. Take a seat and I’ll be over to take your order.”

The man, silent until now, thanked her with a small smile and headed towards an empty booth, and after a lingering look, the woman turned to follow him.

“Drinks!” Waverly blurted. The woman turned around, a quizzical look on her face, and Waverly stuttered, “Can- can I get you some drinks?” 

“I’ll take a beer, please, whatever you have on tap. Just a water for him,” she replied, indicating her companion, who had settled into the booth.

“Coming right up,” Waverly replied, and busied herself behind the bar to hide the fact that she was blushing furiously. What the hell was that, she chastised herself. Like you’ve never seen an attractive woman before. Sure, maybe not that attractive, and not in this bar, in this small town, but still. Way to make an impression. 

Waverly managed to deliver their drinks, and then their food to the table with no further incidents, for which she was grateful. As the rush began to die down and one by one patrons left to make their way home, she found herself glancing over to their booth with greater frequency. The pair looked deep in conversation for the most part, and Waverly was curious as to their relationship. Friends seemed most likely, or close colleagues. She definitely didn’t get a couple kind of vibe from what she could see. 

After saying goodbye to one of her regulars, she glanced again at the booth, only to find the woman staring straight at her. Waverly quickly looked away, and when she chanced another look, the woman was making her way to the bar. Putting on a bright smile and trying to quell the unexpected fluttering in her chest, Waverly turned to her and asked, “Everything alright?”

“Great. Can I get another beer, please?”

“Sure. I’ll bring it over.” 

“It’s fine, I’ll wait,” she smiled, perching on one of the stools and placing her hands on the bar. She picked up a beer mat and idly flipped it between long, slender fingers as she watched Waverly start to pour her beer. 

“So, uh, you guys just passing through?” Waverly asked, as if she hadn’t been wondering about them since she’d seen them hours before.

“Actually, we’ve just moved here. We’re setting up a business, me and my partner.”

Surprised, Waverly set the glass down harder than she’d intended, sloshing beer over her hands and the bar. “Oh, sh- oot! Sorry, I’ll get you another,” she apologised, feeling flustered, and strangely disappointed that her instinct about them being together had been wrong.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Long day,” she laughed awkwardly, then changed the subject as she found a towel to dry her hands. “So what kind of business are you in?”

“We’re opening an outdoor store, just near here actually, on Main Street.”

“Ah, hunting, shooting and fishing, huh? We have a few of those round here,” Waverly told her. 

“Mmm, more climbing, hiking and camping. Something a bit different to the others, hopefully. For a start, Dolls is turning one of the store rooms into a CrossFit box,” she explained.

“Dolls?” Waverly queried, and the woman indicated over her shoulder with her thumb.

“My partner. Business partner,” she clarified, and Waverly smiled a little wider in response. “I’m Nicole, by the way.”

Waverly took her proffered hand and said, “Waverly Earp.”

“Earp, as in...?”

“Yep, as in,” Waverly let go of Nicole’s hand to point to the ‘Drink where Wyatt Earp drank’ sign behind the bar.

“Wow, that’s so cool. I feel like I’ve met a Purgatory celebrity already,” she chuckled, and her laughter was so warm and genuine that Waverly couldn’t help but respond in kind.

Just then, someone called her name, and Waverly tore her eyes away from Nicole to see a couple of people waiting to be served. 

“Sorry, I really should...”

“Of course, I didn’t mean to take so much of your time. It’s very nice to meet you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole grinned, before she headed back to her booth, and Waverly had to tear her eyes away from her retreating figure.

Waverly was on autopilot as she pulled a few more beers then wiped down the bar where she’d spilled Nicole’s drink. Her mind was almost entirely occupied by the woman she’d just met, and it was a struggle not to stare over to where she sat. She chose not to read too much into the reaction she had; she told herself it was just natural curiosity when someone new moved to a town where she knew everyone. The relief that she’d felt when Nicole confirmed Dolls was her business partner rather than boyfriend was harder to explain.

Another hour passed before they came to the bar to settle their bill. As she took Dolls’ card, Waverly asked conversationally, “So I hear you’re bringing CrossFit to Purgatory?” 

“I’m gonna try. Can I sign you up?” he asked.

“Um, maybe? I’m not sure it’s my thing. It seems pretty hardcore, I might not be able to keep up.”

“I bet you could, you’re obviously fit,” Nicole chimed in, and Waverly felt her cheeks warm at the thought that Nicole might have been looking at her in that way too.

“You should come by and check it out when we’re all set up. I’m Dolls, by the way, since someone didn’t bother to introduce us.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Waverly.”

“Oh, I know,” he said with a sidelong glance at his friend, and it was Nicole’s turn to blush slightly.

“Anyway,” Nicole began, ignoring Dolls, “maybe hot pilates is more your style?”

“Hot pilates? Is that even a thing?” Waverly asked dubiously. Hot yoga, yes, but she’d never heard of hot pilates.

Before Nicole could reply, Dolls said, “Always trying to steal clients from me. It was nice to meet you Waverly, I hope we see you soon.” 

He headed for the door, leaving Nicole behind. “I really do hope to see you soon. Drop by the store anytime. Take this, in case you’re interested in that class,” she smiled, putting a business card down on the bar before she turned to leave. Just before she reached the door, she looked over her shoulder, and seeing Waverly staring after her, she winked and said, “I mean it,” then pushed through the door and was gone. 

She winked at me. Normally Waverly would have rolled her eyes at such a cheesy move, but somehow, coming from Nicole, she only found it charming. Much like everything she’d said and done so far. Waverly blew out a long breath, then chuckled quietly to herself. She picked up the card and looked at it properly. Along the top was emblazoned ‘Haught Pilates’. Underneath, it read, Nicole Haught, instructor, followed by a phone number and email address. Oh. Not hot pilates. Haught pilates. Of course her name is Haught. Wait, she’s a pilates instructor? Pilates classes, here?

Waverly was preoccupied as she went through the motions of closing up for the night. There was no doubt that she was intrigued by Nicole, but the revelation that she was a pilates instructor had thrown her for a loop. Waverly knew that she shouldn’t think of Nicole as a rival, she wasn’t teaching yoga after all, but she couldn’t help it. She’d worked hard to get people to her classes, and to keep them interested, and the thought of losing them to someone else upset her. Waverly didn’t make much from her yoga classes, certainly not enough to live on, but it gave her a little extra income, as well as a sense of satisfaction at teaching people, and above all, she enjoyed doing something for herself.

When she dropped the mop she was using for the third time, Shorty suggested kindly that she call it a day and head home, and after a halfhearted protest, she agreed. As she’d left her car at the library, she had to pass by the new outdoor store again. The paper-covered windows dulled the light coming from inside, but the room above shone brighter, and a figure passed the window as Waverly glanced up. Sighing heavily, Waverly pulled her coat tighter around her and hurried on to reach her car.

Over the next few days, Waverly caught glimpses of Nicole and Dolls in town, and she followed the progress of the store from afar. It was a constant hive of activity, trucks pulled up to front of the store, signs being painted and equipment carried in. She alternated between wanting to see Nicole again and being unreasonably irritated by the fact she was setting up pilates classes. Nicole couldn’t have known that Waverly taught yoga after all, but still, it bothered her. 

By the end of the week, it looked to be almost ready to open. Flyers had started to appear around town too, advertising the classes on offer as well as the store opening. Waverly scowled every time she saw one posted up in the coffee shop, the diner or the library.

A week after she’d first noticed the new store, Waverly was following the same path from the library to Shorty’s, when she saw the shop door propped open. Determined not to look in, she focused her gaze straight ahead and had almost passed the building when she heard a voice call her name. She hesitated for just a moment before carrying on, but it was long enough for the owner of the voice to catch up with her. 

“Waverly, wait up!”

Caught. Knowing she couldn’t ignore it this time, she turned to see Nicole standing a few steps away, grinning at her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was dressed in paint-splattered jeans and a t-shirt with the sleeves rolled, seemingly oblivious to the cold.

“Oh, hey. Sorry, I didn’t see you...” Waverly trailed off.

“That’s okay. I was hoping to see you around. How are you?”

Surprised that Nicole had wanted to see her, she replied, “Oh, I’m fine. How’s the store coming along?”

“It’s almost ready. Wanna come have a look?”

Waverly made a show of looking at her watch. “I’m on my way to work, I don’t think I’ve got time.”

“Five minutes? You can be our first visitor,” Nicole tried to persuade her, and Waverly gave in to her curiosity. As irrationally annoyed as she was by the situation, she couldn’t deny that she wanted to see inside, and maybe have a chance to check out the competition.

She followed Nicole into the store and looked around with interest at the clothes and equipment hung on the walls, stacked on shelves and set up on the floor. Not being a particularly outdoorsy type, Waverly wasn’t sure what much of the kit was for, but Nicole led her around, pointing things out. Despite her reservations, it was hard not to warm to the woman and get caught up in her enthusiasm.

“So that’s the store, do you have time for a tour of the studio? It’s my favourite part,” Nicole asked, a hopeful smile on her face, and Waverly agreed.

They headed through to the back, Nicole pointing out the still mostly bare room where Dolls would be holding CrossFit sessions, before climbing the stairs.

“Have you had much interest in your classes?” Waverly asked, aiming for casual. She was also trying to distract herself from staring at Nicole climbing the stairs in front of her, and the way those jeans fitted her just so, and how that t-shirt stretched across strong shoulders...

“A bit, a few people have asked. I expected it might take a while to get people interested here, I didn’t know if it was a pilates kind of place.”

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Oh, no offence. Just, people don’t always take to something new. I’ll just have to win them over,” Nicole gave her a cocky grin.

They emerged at the top of the stairs in a bright, spacious room with white walls, pale wood flooring and two skylights flooding the space with natural light. Built in cupboards around the walls held mats and other equipment, and an assortment of cushions and blankets were piled in a corner. Waverly took it all in with a pang of envy; this was exactly the kind of studio she would love to have. The whole setup was professional and welcoming, and so much better than a room above a library. She felt more sure than before that she would end up losing people to this class.

“What do you think?” Until Nicole spoke, Waverly hadn’t realised that she was watching her. 

She forced a smile and replied, “It’s great, you’ve done a good job getting this ready so quickly.”

“Thanks. So do you think you could be tempted to take classes here?”

Waverly gave a noncommittal shrug. “Maybe. How long have you been teaching pilates?” she asked to change the subject.

“About three years. A couple of years before that I messed up my shoulder pretty badly in a climbing accident, and someone suggested pilates as rehab,” Nicole explained.

“And it worked?”

“It helped a lot. I resisted the idea for a while because I didn’t really know what it was, I thought it was like some hippy yoga shit.” 

Waverly stiffened and felt her face flush at the unintended slight. She bit back the retort that was on the tip of her tongue; she hadn’t told Nicole about her yoga practice, and if that’s what she thought of it, she wasn’t going to now.

Nicole continued speaking, oblivious to Waverly’s indignation, telling her about how she’d decided to train as an instructor and was looking forward to starting classes.

“I’ve got to go, I need to get to work,” Waverly said abruptly, and Nicole looked taken aback.

“Oh, okay. Can I ask you a favour first? Could you take some of our flyers for the bar?”

Waverly wanted to say no; she didn’t feel inclined to help out a rival, especially after what she’d just said. “We don’t really do that, sorry.”

“Just a few? How about I give you a free class in return?” Nicole offered with a smile.

“Fine,” Waverly relented, “but don’t expect to get much business from anyone in Shorty’s.”

When Nicole handed her a pile of flyers, Waverly quickly scanned the text. “Nice try. It says that the first class is free anyway.”

“Oh, you noticed that? First two free for you then. Or I could always do a private session?” 

Waverly picked up on the flirtatious tone in Nicole’s voice, and when she looked at her, she winked. Waverly rolled her eyes in response, wondering why she’d thought Nicole was charming when in fact she was infuriating.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass.”

Nicole just laughed, holding her hands up in defeat. “Well, the offer’s there. I’ll see you at Shorty’s later.”

“You will?”

“Need to make sure you don’t throw those flyers away as soon as you leave here.”

Waverly huffed indignantly. “I wasn’t planning to, until you said that.”

“Then I take it back. I was going to come by later though, maybe start getting to know the town a bit better, maybe meet some people. Will you be there?” she asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I close tonight.”

“Great, I’ll see you in a few hours then. Thanks for indulging me and letting me show you around.”

Nicole held the door open and Waverly mumbled a quick goodbye before she hurried off in the direction of Shorty’s. Spending even a short time with Nicole had left her conflicted; she was warm and friendly, and seemed genuinely interested in Waverly, but she was also cocky, and she’d struck a nerve with her dismissive attitude to yoga. Hippy shit, indeed. 

When she got to Shorty’s, Waverly tried to distract herself with work, doing some little jobs around the bar she’d been meaning to get to between serving customers, but she couldn’t help looking to the door every time it opened. Not that she actually wanted to see Nicole again so soon, she just wanted to be prepared when she did come in. She spent more time than she’d like to admit thinking of the ways she could set Nicole straight about yoga, while knowing that she was unlikely to say any of them.

There had been no sign of Nicole by the time Waverly took her break after the dinner crowd had left, Shorty taking her place behind the bar. She sat at a table tucked away in the corner, back to the room, reading her book and drinking the tea that Shorty kept just for her. As the bar was quiet, she stretched out her break long enough to finish her chapter, and she felt much more relaxed as she cleared the table and went to put everything away.

As she stepped back behind the bar, Waverly spotted a now-familiar figure perched on a stool, beer in front of her. Of course she had managed to sneak in when Waverly wasn’t paying attention, after she’d spent most of her shift staring at the door. Nicole’s hair was down now, loose over her shoulders, and she’d changed into a dark flannel with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. 

Before she could say anything, Nicole caught sight of her and lifted her hand in a small wave. “Hi again, Waverly.”

“Hey. You’re here,” Waverly replied, redundantly.

“I am,” Nicole nodded.

“I meant, I didn’t see you come in.”

“I saw you reading over there, I didn’t want to disturb you,” Nicole explained, then added, “if I’d have known you were looking for me I’d have come sooner.”

“I didn’t say that, I wasn’t waiting for you,” Waverly protested. “If you wanted to talk to people though, you’re a bit late.”

“Yeah, I noticed it was pretty quiet. I’ll just have to talk to you instead,” Nicole said, with a smile that Waverly was sure she thought was charming.

“Can’t, I’m kinda busy,” Waverly told her, despite how much the bar had emptied out. She immediately felt bad when she saw Nicole’s face fall, the confident mask slipping for just a moment before she smiled again and nodded.

Choosing to ignore the blatant lie, Nicole stood from the stool and picked up her beer. “Sure, I won’t bother you then. I’ll just be over there,” she said, indicating vaguely over her shoulder. 

Waverly watched from behind the bar as Nicole took a seat at a table, her back to the bar, and pulled out her phone. She wanted to apologise and ask her to come back over, but she had no idea what to say. Instead, she resolved that if Nicole came back to order another drink, she would try to engage her in conversation.

Almost an hour later, Nicole hadn’t moved although her glass had sat empty in front of her for a while. Waverly was about to go over and ask if she wanted another drink when the street door banged open and her sister made her usual entrance, making a beeline for the bar. With a last glance over at Nicole, Waverly turned her attention to her sister, now taking off her leather jacket and throwing it carelessly on a stool.

“Hey Wynonna,” she greeted her, already reaching under the bar for a glass.

“Hey baby girl. You are a lifesaver,” Wynonna told her as she slid a shot of whiskey across the bar.

“Bad day?” As Wynonna launched into a story about a run-in she’d had that afternoon, Waverly found her attention drawn again to the redhead sitting alone. She only realised how much she was staring when Wynonna slapped her hand down on the bar to get her attention. She snapped back to face her sister and smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry, I was miles away.”

“You were very interested in something over there.” Wynonna looked over to where Nicole sat. Lowering her voice, she added. “Or someone. Who’s that?” 

“Oh, no-one, I don’t really know,” Waverly tried to brush her off.

“Really? Should I go ask her?” Wynonna made to stand up and Waverly leaned over the bar to grab her wrist.

“Fine. But keep your voice down.” She picked up one of the flyers she’d left at the far end of the bar and placed it down in front of Wynonna, who looked it over with a frown.

“Haught Pilates? Well, that’s ridiculous. But what’s it got to do with you?”

“Apart from the fact she’s got a fancy studio and is probably an amazing teacher and is going to steal everyone from my yoga classes?” Waverly whispered, annoyed.

Wynonna regarded her with a raised eyebrow. “And why would that happen? Everyone loves your classes.”

Waverly already knew that she sounded irrational but having Wynonna point it out did not help. “But they’re going to end up going to hers and like them better. She’s probably even running them at the same time as mine.”

“Then just ask her not to,” Wynonna shrugged, “she wouldn’t say no to the nicest person in Purgatory.”

“I can’t do that! I haven’t even told her I teach yoga.”

“You have spoken to her, right?” 

“A couple of times. She showed me round the store and her studio,” Waverly admitted.

“And you just forgot that you teach yoga?”

“I didn’t get a chance to mention it at first, then she was really rude about yoga and I felt stupid so I didn’t want to say.”

Waverly saw Wynonna bristle at that. “Oh, she was? So you want me to run her out of town?”

“Wynonna, no. She’s actually nice.”

“Okay, wait. She was rude to you, but she’s nice. She’s going to steal all your business, but you’re interested in her,” Wynonna ticked each point off on her fingers as she made them.

Waverly was quick to reply, “No, I’m not interested in her.” 

“Sure. You just keep staring at her because…?” 

“I wasn’t, I was just-” Waverly stopped dead as she saw Nicole stand up and turn towards the bar. “Crap, she’s coming over. Don’t say anything, please.”

Before she could gauge Wynonna’s reaction, Nicole had reached the bar and placed her empty glass down. Waverly picked it up and smiled nervously.

“Hey Nicole. Can I get you another?”

“No thanks, I should probably get going. Things to do tomorrow.” Nicole glanced to her left, where Wynonna was staring at her, and offered her a smile.

“This is my sister, Wynonna. Wynonna, Nicole,” Waverly introduced them, nervously awaiting Wynonna’s reaction.

“Haught Pilates, right?” Wynonna said, waving the flyer she still held in her hand.

“That’s me. Interested in trying a class?” she asked.

“Nah, not my style.”

“You might be surprised. I’m working on getting your sister to come along too.” Nicole turned her smile on Waverly instead.

“Yeah, maybe. We’ll see,” Waverly shrugged non-committedly.

“I’ll take that as a yes. You won’t regret it,” Nicole grinned as she backed away from the bar, holding Waverly’s eye until she turned and left.

As she watched the door swing shut behind her, Waverly muttered to herself, “I’m pretty sure I will.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole’s new business seems to be taking off, but Waverly isn’t concerned about it. Not at all....

Over the next two weeks, Waverly’s mission to avoid Nicole was made virtually impossible by her presence in Shorty’s almost every night. Sometimes she was accompanied by Dolls, the rest of the time she arrived by herself, sitting at the bar and occasionally talking to other patrons. No matter where she was, Waverly found her attention frequently drawn to Nicole. She made a point of always exchanging pleasantries with Waverly, and if Waverly wasn’t too busy, tried to draw her into longer conversations. Unable to help herself, Waverly found herself asking how her classes were going. Nicole was enthusiastic; after a slow start, attendance was picking up and she thought things were going well.

Waverly had suspected as much; as she’d feared, there had been a drop in attendance at her classes, just a couple of regulars not showing up when they usually would, but enough to have her worried. She had surreptitiously checked Nicole’s schedule and saw that none of her classes were scheduled at the same time at Waverly’s, so she could only conclude that her clients were staying away because they preferred Nicole.

One evening, not long after the dinner rush, Waverly was taking advantage of the quiet to wash glasses. Nicole and Dolls were sitting at a table near the door, and it hadn’t escaped Waverly’s attention that several patrons had stopped by their table to say a few words on their way out. 

From her perch at the bar, Wynonna caught her attention. “Are you trying to rub a hole in that glass?”

Waverly looked down at the glass she’d been drying for far longer than necessary. With a sigh, she put it down and picked up another to dry. 

“Are you okay there? You looked like you wanted to throw that glass at a certain ginger,” Wynonna observed.

Waverly thought about protesting but Wynonna had heard so many of her complaints about Nicole over the past weeks that it wasn’t worth it. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. She is annoying though.”

Wynonna glanced over at Nicole and Dolls then turned back to Waverly. “She’s just sitting there, Waves.”

“Plotting how to steal the rest of my clients, no doubt,” Waverly muttered, sending another glare towards an oblivious Nicole.

“Maybe she’s just having dinner with her friend?” Wynonna suggested. “You still haven’t told her about your yoga classes, have you?”

Waverly shook her head, and Wynonna continued, “Then I think it’s unlikely she’s over there plotting to steal your yoga-ers, or whatever you call them.”

“Okay, stop being reasonable, that is not what I come to you for,” Waverly grumbled, “just let me freak out about losing my business in peace.”

“Come on, you’re not losing your business. They’ll come back to you when they’re bored of Ginger Spice over there,” Wynonna tried to reassure her.

Waverly hoped that her sister was right, but she couldn’t help but worry. “What if they don’t? What if her classes are really that much better than mine?”

“They’re not. But you could always go along to find out?” Wynonna suggested.

“Go to her class?”

“Yeah, you should check out the competition, see what you’re up against.”

“I can’t do that! I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of thinking I’m interested,” Waverly told her.

“But it’ll help you figure out how to win everyone back. Plus you’ll get to check her out, doing her thing,” Wynonna smirked.

“I am not interested in checking her out doing any thing,” Waverly protested, a little too quickly.

“Sure, it’s not at all like you’re hate crushing on her,” Wynonna teased, then held her hands up defensively when Waverly scowled at her. “Fine, fine. Want me to go and check it out instead?”

“You don’t even come to _my_ classes, why would you voluntarily go to hers?”

“To stop you driving yourself even more crazy over this. It’s a sacrifice I’d be willing to make for you, sis,” Wynonna told her, leaning over to clutch her hand dramatically.

“Much as I appreciate the sacrifice, you don’t have to do that. I’m pretty sure you’d only be going to accidentally bump into Dolls anyway.”

“Hmm, maybe I should check out his box instead,” she mused, looking over again to where he sat.

Waverly shook her head and laughed at her sister, “I knew it.” 

“That’s what we call a CrossFit gym, Waverly. Mind out of the gutter,” Wynonna told her with a sly grin.

When Nicole came to the bar to settle their bill before leaving, Waverly was determined to be polite and unfazed, despite knowing that Wynonna was watching their interaction closely.

“Everything okay with your food?” she asked as Nicole handed over her card to pay.

“It was great. Best burger in town,” she smiled.

“That’s what keeps you coming back every day?” Wynonna interjected.

“That, and the beer’s pretty good too,” Nicole replied, but her eyes were still on Waverly.

“Should a fitness fanatic really be dining on burgers and beer and hanging out in a bar every night?” Waverly was aiming for light and casual, but she saw Nicole’s smile slip for a moment before she shrugged.

“Not much else to do when you’re new in town and only have one friend here.” Her tone was light but Waverly immediately felt bad. She hadn’t really considered the fact that Nicole, who seemed to have settled into town well, might be feeling lonely or looking for a friend.

“That’s one more than I’ve got, so congrats,” said Wynonna wryly, tipping her glass at Nicole, who laughed.

“Wanna come to my classes then?” 

“Nice try, but no thanks.”

“Worth a try,” Nicole turned her attention back to Waverly, “what about you? Want to upgrade that maybe to a yes?”

“Wow, you are persistent,” Waverly tried to brush her off, but Nicole was looking at her so earnestly that she knew she was close to caving. Maybe Wynonna’s plan of checking out the competition wasn’t the worst idea…

“Two free classes, remember? I wouldn’t make that offer to just anyone,” she said conspiratorially, leaning in a little closer.

Waverly made up her mind. “Okay, fine. When?”

Nicole grinned happily, dimple appearing in her cheek.  _ Infuriating _ , Waverly thought. “Whenever you like. Pick a class and let me know. You have my number.”

As Nicole and Dolls left the bar, Waverly could feel the heat in her face and the weight of Wynonna’s stare. She focussed on wiping down the bar and refused to meet her sister’s eye.

After a few minutes, Wynonna broke the silence. “Not giving her the satisfaction, eh?”

“Shut up.”

  
🧘♀️ 🧘♀️ 🧘♀️  
  


Waverly stood outside the store, shifting from one foot to the other as she debated whether to turn and leave. When she had finally picked a class and sent Nicole a text to let her know, Nicole had replied immediately (with too many smiley faces in Waverly’s opinion) and asked her to arrive fifteen minutes before the class so she could have an induction. That had thwarted Waverly’s plan to slip in at the last minute and try to hide out at the back of the class to observe.

Now she was standing outside trying to remember why she was going through with this. She didn’t  _ want  _ to spend any more time in Nicole’s company, and she especially didn’t  _ want  _ to see how good she was at what she did. Wynonna had a lot to answer for.

Before she could decide, the door in front of her was thrown open and Nicole appeared.

“Hey Waverly! I’m glad you made it. Come on inside,” she greeted her enthusiastically, standing aside to let Waverly pass. 

Waverly edged past her into the store, looking around to see Dolls helping a customer near the counter. He glanced over and smiled when he saw who it was, and she gave him a small wave in return.

As Nicole led the way through the store and upstairs to the studio, Waverly asked, “Does Dolls look after the store while you teach?”

“He does, and I take over when he has classes. When the store is closed, we can both have classes running.”

“How many people will be in the class today?” Waverly was hoping for a full class so that she could blend in and observe without being observed.

“Um, I have 8 booked in today I think. That’s about the most I’ve been getting. Usually less, actually,” Nicole admitted, turning to her as they reached the studio. “Okay, you can put your things over here.” 

Waverly moved over to the corner Nicole had indicated and took off her coat and boots. She left her socks and hoodie on, but when she turned back, she saw that Nicole was now barefoot and was pulling her long-sleeved top over her head. Underneath she wore a racer back tank, and Waverly’s breath caught in her throat as she noticed how the strong muscles of her back and shoulders moved under the smooth, pale skin. A faint scar ran down one shoulder, evidence of the accident that had led her to pilates. Waverly allowed her eyes to track lower, to long legs in tight leggings, and suddenly regretted her decision to come to class. There was no way she would be able to concentrate.

“Um, should I, um, socks on or off?” she asked, for want of anything else to say.

“It’s up to you. I prefer bare feet for better grip, but if you’d rather keep your socks on, it’s fine,” Nicole told her.

Waverly knew from her yoga practice that she preferred bare feet too so she reached down to pull off her socks and put them with her boots. As she walked over to Nicole in the middle of the room, she gasped in surprise at the warm floorboards under her bare feet.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t expect the floor to be warm,” she explained.

“Ah, the underfloor heating is my big indulgence in the studio. It makes everything more comfortable,” Nicole smiled.

Waverly gave her a weak smile back, resisting the urge to roll her eyes instead.  _ Of course  _ Nicole had a heated floor. She couldn’t help but think about how her feet were always cold in her makeshift studio.

Oblivious to what she was thinking, Nicole continued, “Okay, so I asked you to come along early so I could go over a few things. I normally do this in the first class but you held out on me so I’ll do it now instead.”

This time, Waverly couldn’t stop the eye roll. “Yeah, yeah. So what do I need to know?”

“Have you ever done pilates before?” Nicole asked.

“Nope, never,” Waverly hesitated for a moment then added, “a little yoga though.”  _ Not a lie _ .

“Okay, you’ll find some similarities, but a lot of differences too. We focus on improving core strength and flexibility with specific targeted exercises, lots of small, controlled movements. We start with learning lateral breathing, which drives every movement,” Nicole explained, taking a seat on a mat and indicating for Waverly to sit on the next mat. “When we breathe in through the nose, we pull the breath up from the belly, and redirect it to the back and the sides of the rib cage. Breathe out through a pursed lip, like this.” She demonstrated, letting out a steady breath, before inhaling deeply and repeating the action.

Waverly focused on her mouth as she did so, absolutely ignoring the fact that it looked like she was blowing a kiss, and unconsciously mirrored what she was doing.

“Good, just like that. Put your hands on the sides of your ribcage so you can feel how much it expands and contracts.”

Waverly followed her instruction, quickly finding the rhythm of the breathing, and despite herself, beginning to relax. 

“Excellent. You’re a natural,” Nicole smiled.

“At breathing? Yeah, I’ve been doing it for a long time now.”

“I could tell. We spent about half of the first class just focusing on the breathing and how to use it, but you’re more or less caught up so you should be fine.”

Nicole continued to tell her more about the principles of pilates and what she could expect from the class, and finished by saying, “I tend to be a pretty hands-on instructor, I go round and correct positioning and posture where needed, but if anyone is uncomfortable with that, I’ll talk them through it instead. If you prefer hands-off, just let me know.”

“No, hands on is good,” Waverly replied without thinking, that being her own style of teaching, but then realised how it had sounded and ducked her head to hide her flushed cheeks.

To her credit, Nicole simply said, “Okay, that’s fine. Everyone else should be arriving soon.”

To give herself something to do and avoid looking at Nicole, Waverly got up and went over to the corner where she took off her hoodie and deposited it with the rest of her things. She took a moment to collect herself before turning back to where Nicole was now standing.

She just saw Nicole’s gaze trail down her body appreciatively before she caught herself and averted her eyes, clearing her throat. Enjoying the unexpected role reversal, Waverly raised her arms to pull her hair into a bun, allowing her already short tank to lift higher over her toned stomach. She could see that Nicole was trying hard not to look as she walked closer, but her eyes flickered down as Waverly stopped in front of her.

“Where should I go?” Waverly asked sweetly, savouring the effect that she was obviously having on her.  _ Two can play at that game _ .

“What? Oh, um, wherever you like. Just uh, just choose a mat.” Waverly bit back a smile at the normally cool and confident Nicole Haught so flustered at the sight of a little bare skin.

At that, footsteps sounded on the stairs and Nicole quickly stepped back, casting one more glance at Waverly before walking over to greet the people arriving. Pleased with herself, Waverly chose a mat towards the back of the room and settled down to wait for the class to start.

As the class filled up, Waverly saw that around half of the attendees also came to her yoga classes. Most of them looked a bit sheepish when they spotted her, and opted to take mats as far from her as they could. Her good mood quickly dissolved as she remembered why she was there in the first place.

Just before the class started, footsteps pounded up the stairs and someone rushed in, apologising for being late. Waverly was surprised to see that it was her good friend, and most loyal client, Chrissy. She watched as Chrissy quickly got rid of her jacket and shoes, and turned to find a space. Their eyes met and Chrissy’s face fell when she realised Waverly was there, but she had no option but to take the only mat left, next to Waverly.

When she sat down, she whispered, “Hey Waves,” an apologetic look on her face.

Waverly was saved from responding by Nicole standing up at the front of the class and beginning to talk. She welcomed the class and spoke a little about what they would cover before asking everyone to lie on their backs. They focused on the breathing that Nicole had shown her for several minutes, the room beginning to fill with the sound of loud exhales, before Nicole introduced some small movements to work their core muscles.

Some of the exercises were familiar to Waverly thanks to their similarity to yoga, and she found them easy. When they moved to standing to do roll downs, a gentle spinal flexion to release the back, she did it effortlessly, ending with her hands flat on the floor in front of her feet. Glancing around she saw that no-one else had rolled so far, some of them far from being able to touch the floor. She quickly corrected herself, pulling up a little so that only her fingertips grazed the mat. She was supposed to be a beginner, after all.

Nicole did the exercise with them several times, touching the floor easily as she did so, before walking around the class to observe everyone. Waverly saw that she was correcting a few people, straightening their hips or gently encouraging them into a stronger stretch. As she got closer, Waverly felt herself tense, but she passed by with a murmured, “Good, well done.”

Nicole took her place at the front of the class again and said, “That was looking great everyone. We’re going to add to that again, so this time when we roll down, we’re going to walk out into a downward dog.”

She began to demonstrate the exercise, rolling her upper body down until her hands touched the floor, then walked them forward and finally pushed her hips back into a perfect downward dog. Waverly’s eyes were drawn once again to those strong shoulders and how the muscles of her upper back were drawn taut. She shook her head slightly and brought her attention back to what Nicole was saying.

As before, Nicole made her way through the class, offering advice and corrections as she went. This time, when she reached Waverly she paused, and Waverly was sure she could feel her gaze on her as she held her downward dog.

Nicole’s feet came into view as she stepped closer, and a moment later, Waverly felt a warm hand on each of her shoulders. “You’re almost there, just need to keep your shoulders further from your ears,” Nicole told her, pulling gently to encourage her to move.

Waverly huffed out a breath, indignant at being corrected on a position she had done probably thousands of times before. She knew she did it correctly, and felt insulted that Nicole thought otherwise. The situation was made worse when Nicole moved her hands to her hips instead, manoeuvring them back a fraction. “There, that’s much better,” she said in a cheerful tone, before she moved onto Chrissy, leaving Waverly silently fuming.

She didn’t offer any further corrections for the remainder of the class, but it continued to play in the back of Waverly’s mind. By the end of the hour, she felt more stressed and annoyed than she did when she started, especially when she saw how much everyone seemed to have enjoyed the class. Nicole thanked everyone for coming and invited any questions, but Waverly suddenly needed to get out of the studio so she gathered her things as quickly as she could and left without speaking to anyone.

She was out of the store and hurrying along the sidewalk, still fumbling to zip up her coat, when she heard a voice from behind her call, “Waves, wait up!”

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Chrissy jogging to catch up with her, so reluctantly, she slowed down until her friend was walking alongside her.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, Waverly determined she wouldn’t speak first, until Chrissy ventured, “I didn’t expect to see you at a pilates class.”

“I could see that. And I could say the same for you,” Waverly replied pointedly.

That earned her another apologetic smile. “I was going to tell you after I’d been. Give you the inside info, you know?”

“So, have you been going to her class for a while?” Waverly asked, aiming for casual and missing by a mile.

“No, that was only the second time.”

“Do you like it?” Waverly was almost afraid to hear her answer.

Chrissy shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ll probably keep going,” she admitted, then added, “I still prefer your class though, don’t worry.”

“Being friends for twenty years means you have to say that,” Waverly huffed. She wanted to believe Chrissy but she suspected she was just trying to make her feel better.

“It’s true. I’ve loved your classes from the start and I’ll be there as long as you keep teaching, you know that,” Chrissy told her.

Waverly smiled at her, a real one this time. Chrissy’s declaration had made her feel better and restored a little faith in herself. “I do know. Thank you, and sorry. You can go to any class you want, it’s none of my business.” 

“Thanks for the permission,” Chrissy snarked, and Waverly laughed. 

“You’re welcome. One more thing though,” she couldn’t resist asking, “have you seen a lot of my regulars there?”

Chrissy considered the question, seeming to choose her words carefully. “I’ve seen a few. I’m sure they’re just checking it out, probably more curious about Nicole than anything else.”

“Do you think she’s a good teacher?”

“Waverly Earp, are you fishing for me to tell you you’re so much better than she is?” Chrissy teased.

Waverly knew that’s exactly what she wanted, and she knew it was obvious to her friend too, but she was not prepared to admit it. “No, I just wondered.”

“Then yes, I do think she’s good. And yes, I still think you’re a great teacher. So stop fishing and stop freaking out,” she laughed.

Chrissy walked with her to her car, and when she was on her way home, she felt slightly reassured, although underlying that was still a worry about Nicole’s classes going so well.

When she walked into the house, she saw Wynonna lounging on the couch in front of the TV. She looked up as Waverly entered the room after she’d hung up her coat. “Hey Waves. Ooh, how was your Haught Pilates?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Waverly moved Wynonna’s feet from the couch and fell into the space she’d made. “It was fine,” she sighed.

“Really? You’ve spent the last few weeks turning her into your arch-nemesis, you finally go to her class, and it was fine?”

“Okay, it sucked, because it was good. She was good,” Waverly admitted. “Still cocky though. A total know-it-all. She corrected my downward dog!”

Waverly could see that Wynonna was trying, and mostly failing, to bite back a smile. “Well, I’m definitely going to have to run her out of town. How dare she.”

Waverly leaned over to swat at Wynonna’s leg. “Not funny. She probably did it just to annoy me.”

“I’m sure she did,” Wynonna agreed, patting Waverly on the knee. 

Waverly glared at her sister. She knew, underneath her indignation and frustration, that she was being irrational, but it didn’t help to have Wynonna point it out.

“I’m sorry baby girl. I know this isn’t funny for you. What are you going to do?” Wynonna asked.

“I don’t know,” Waverly sighed, flopping back dramatically against the cushions. “Do I wait to see if people start coming back? Should I try to, I don’t know, win them back?” Her mind was already racing, trying to think of ways to do just that.

“Are you really at the stage just now? It’s not like you’re going out of business,” Wynonna reasoned.

“Not really, I guess. But I don’t want to lose any more clients to her.”

“Are you going back to her class?”

“I’m not sure giving her more business is going to help my business,” Waverly said doubtfully.

“Maybe taking her down from the inside is the way to go?” Wynonna suggested.

“I don’t want to take her down, Wynonna. I just want…” Waverly tailed off while she considered what exactly she did want.

“Everyone to like you better again?”

Waverly grimaced. “Does that make me a terrible person?”

“Of course not. It makes you Waverly. You’ve always cared a little too much what other people think.”

Before she could defend herself, Waverly was distracted by her phone buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen to see a new message from the number she’d saved as “Haught 😡”.

“Ah, it’s her,” she said in surprise, turning her phone to show Wynonna.

“What’s she saying?”

Waverly unlocked her phone and opened the message, reading aloud, “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to speak to you at the end. You did really well today. I hope you enjoyed it enough to come back.”

“Well, that was nice of her to check in,” Wynonna’s tone was cautious as she waited for Waverly’s response.

She had to admit that it  _ was _ nice. Which, somehow, was even more irritating. Why did Nicole have to be  _ nice _ ?

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to that. Yeah, it was good but please stop so everyone comes back to me? Also, my downward dog was perfect?”

“Mmm, maybe think it over some more before you reply,” Wynonna advised.

Before she could agonise any further about her reply, another message popped up on the screen. Waverly’s eyes grew wide and she felt her stomach flip as she read.

**I was also hoping you might like to get a coffee with me sometime?**

Waverly told herself that Nicole was probably just looking for a friend; she’d more or less said as much before. But what if it was more than that? Waverly wasn’t interested in even being friends, let alone anything more, although the fluttering sensation in her chest at thought suggested otherwise.

Making a snap decision, she quickly typed **I’m in** and hit send before she threw her phone down on the couch and stared at it as if it might bite her.

“What was that?” Wynonna asked.

Turning to her sister, Waverly replied as if in a daze, “I’m gonna need a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I’d love to know what you think so far. The reaction to the first chapter was both l unexpected and delightful, so thank you very much for that!
> 
> Also, how did we all enjoy the new episode this weekend? Pretty wild!
> 
> I’m on Twitter @HaughtToScot if you fancy some nonsense chat

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, feedback much appreciated!
> 
> I’m on Twitter @HaughtToScot for more nonsense like this.
> 
> (Also, #BringWynonnaHome)


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